Geomorphological Instability and Socio-Economic Resilience of Goa Lowo Tourism, Trenggalek Following Regional Access Change

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze three critical issues in Goa Lowo: the dominant forms of geological instability, the impact of geomorphology on access risk, and the socio-economic resilience following regional access changes. The methods included geomorphological observation, lithological analysis, and in-depth interviews with key informants. The findings showed that Goa Lowo is experiencing continuous structural degradation due to the uncompacted nature of the Limestone bedrock and ongoing active speleogenesis. Tourist accident risk was found to be drastically elevated due to the interaction of natural hazards with managerial failure, evidenced by numerous vital facilities, such as lighting and walkways, being damaged and non-functional, violating geo-tourism safety principles. Socio-economically, the construction of the South Coast Highway (JLS) triggered a significant drop in visitor numbers, revealing the low economic resilience of the community and causing a shift in the primary income source back to the agricultural sector. Furthermore, an anomaly of dislocation of ownership was found: despite high communal participation in gotong royong (mutual assistance), daily maintenance was entirely assigned to paid staff. Immediate revitalization of safety infrastructure and strengthening of community participation in operational management are recommended.

Keywords: Karst Geomorphology, Structural Degradation, Geo-tourism Risk, Economic Resilience, Dislocation of Ownership.